The present invention relates to a chain-like toy comprising a plurality, preferably more than 20, of isosceles triangular prisms made of plastic that are rotatably connected at the equal side planes of the triangular prisms.
Each isosceles triangular prism unit consists of five planes or faces, i.e. a rectangular base plane, two isosceles triangular side plates erected symmetrically on the sides of the said base, and two rectangular planes slanted at an equal angle and interposed between the two triangular side plates. A plurality of the triangular prism units are rotatably connected in series at the slanted planes thereof by means of a connecting rod, the slanted planes being so connected as to arrange them in abutment. By rotating each unit suitably for an angle of 360.degree., any desired shape and form of things and animals can be made.
As a means to connect such triangular prism units rotatably in a series, a sturdy string may be passed through the units with a strain and fixed at both ends to the units. However, when such units are connected with a string, the connection will not hold strongly enough, the strain being applied as it were, and as the string slackens with time, the connection will be further weakened. As a result, units may rotate voluntarily while a player is making a certain shape by manipulating the units, rendering it impossible for him to maintain his intended shape. Another grave defect of this method is that the string may be worn and cut after frequent rotations where it comes in contact with the point of rotation. Furthermore, in assembling a toy, it is quite troublesome to fix the both ends of a string to units while maintaining it fully stretched. It may also pose a difficult problem of connecting each unit of all the products with a uniform strain.
In view of the above defects that may arise, it will be necessary to construct a toy such as this by a connecting means which may not be easily broken at the connecting points by frequent rotations and which may be imparted with a uniform strain.